Facebook has a data center in Oregon that uses as much power as the entire county does. That is 28MW of power. Facebook is growing and will continue to grow. This means that power needs of its data center will only increase. This Facebook campus has one data center fully operational and another data center that is identical to the first one being built. There are also plans to build a third data center at this site. If the additional two require the same amount of power as the first one, it would translate into the need for at least 78 MW of power. According to the Crook County Economic Development Manager Jason Carr, the region will be able to support the individual power needs with no problem.
This area of Oregon is said to be ideal for using fresh air to cool the servers. Apple has also expressed interest in building its own data center in Prineville. These kind of operations boost the local economy. A study from ECONorthwest, states that the Prineville Facebook facility has generated $142.7 million in economic activity in the state of Oregon alone. This is generated through Facebook employees and construction workers in the area. Facebook has been praised for their efficient use of water. Facebook only uses 28 gallons of water per minute, while other existing industrial users use between 60 and 173 gallons per minute. These facilities demand water and fresh air for cooling the servers. One Google data center in Finland not only has adaptively reused a dead paper mill for its building, they also return the water they use to the source at the same temperature they brought it into the facility. This way there is little to no ecological impact to the adjacent lake.
See the following links for the full story:
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/01/google-finland/
http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2012/01/30/facebook-has-spent-210-million-on-oregon-data-center/
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ReplyDeleteCommendations should go to the Google data center in Finland! The impact of data centers on the environment is one of the more pressing issues when it comes to building and running them. The fact that one of the world’s biggest companies is showing environmental responsibility, it means that other companies that require data center facilities should aim to follow their example. (Mac Pherson)
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